Page 106 of Hard Luck (Blackstone House)

The cave was larger than Cole had expected, and more hospitable too. The sand-covered floor was soft enough to lie on without aches and pains, and the narrow entrance kept out the worst of the wind. Tonight, Cole was hoping the weather forecast was wrong. He and Bella had taken it in turns to drink from the rainwater puddle, and now it was gone.

But they were alive.

They were alive, and they stood a chance of rescue.

Frankie would raise the alarm, but not yet. A week could pass without them speaking, so she wouldn’t start worrying for a while. Yolanda would also call the coastguard, but not until Cole was overdue. Last year, Dr. Blaylock had extended the trip by three days to attend Bart Huntley’s funeral, so a late return wasn’t unusual. But if he wasn’t back in a week… Then the coastguard would start searching, and who the hell knew where theCrosswindwould be by then? Venezuela? Cuba? Hidden among the many islands in the Bahamas?

The coastguard would check the islands in this area, wouldn’t they? Frankie knew the route they were meant to be taking, and he’d emailed her pictures yesterday, so she’d have an idea where to start.

Then there was Nancy. When Cole didn’t answer the phone, Perry would flip out and Nancy would start making calls. Maybe they wouldn’t have to wait a whole week? As long as they had water, they’d be okay. TheCrosswind’s fate wasn’t as important as their lives.

Cole tightened his arm around Bella. He’d always thought he slept like the dead, but here he was, wide awake, while she’d dropped off almost immediately, her head resting on a rolled-up BCD.

“I love you,” he whispered into the darkness.

The rhythm of her breathing didn’t change. Air puffed over his hand. It didn’t matter that she hadn’t heard his words—the important thing was that he’d said them.

His heart couldn’t keep them inside any longer.

“Do you want the good news or the bad news?”

Cole’s eyes flickered open. “Huh?”

“Good news or bad news?”

“Give me the bad news.”

“We’re still stuck on an island.”

He’d worked out that much already. “What’s the good news?”

Bella produced something brown and hairy from behind her back. “We have coconuts.”

Now he sat up, but slowly because he still felt delicate after the events of yesterday.

“Where did you get that?”

She pointed to the roof. “The caves are on a slope. Iwent exploring when I woke up and found the rear entrance. We’re stuck in a jungle, but we’re not going to starve.”

Weight rolled off Cole’s chest like a cannonball as Bella cracked the coconut off the wall. Juice began dripping out of a crack in the shell, but when she held it out to him, he shook his head.

“It’s yours.”

“I’m good. This is the second coconut I found.”

“What the hell would I do without you?”

“I don’t know, spend the morning complaining about a nasty case of sunburn?” Damn, Bella seemed more cheerful here than she did in Las Vegas. “Are you ready to go role-play Tom Hanks inCast Away?”

“I didn’t bring my volleyball.”

“Aw, shame. We’ll have to make do with the other balls you brought.”

“Other balls?” Wait a second… “Are you talking about sex?”

“No, I was thinking of juggling with them.”

“We’re stranded on an island.”

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